| “The future of our Armed Services and the future of this country will be integrally linked with how we take care of our Veterans” George Washington |
| Patrick McCaffrey Foundation ValleyForgeCenter.org |
named after Sergeant Patrick R. McCaffrey, the first California National Guard, since Korea, (from the 579th Engineer Battalion from Petaluma), to lose his life in Iraq on June 22, 2004, is committed to bringing healing and hospice, as well as career counseling and training, to veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its founding member and President, Nadia McCaffrey, mother of Sergeant Patrick McCaffrey, wants to carry on the work her son would have pursued had his life not been curtailed so prematurely. Patrick, who did not expect to be deployed to Iraq, decided to honor the commitment he made to help people by going to Iraq as a leader and Combat Life Saver, bringing healing and love to his fellow soldiers and the Iraqi children. Please join the ranks of the grateful and help us make a mother’s vision a reality
those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder PTSD & TBI, by providing a live-in retreat village, wherein with the help of trained professional staff and volunteers, veterans will find inner healing and an eventual re-entry into society. The Patrick McCaffrey Foundation is a nonprofit public charity, IRS 501c3, that provides activities to benefit American military veterans and their families. The activities include programs and services that help support veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq wars to transition back to their families and communities. One on One attention and Home-Like Care, a second Home Life coaching, training for a better tomorrow |
The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs estimates there are 700,000 homeless veterans,
- about a quarter of the nation's homeless population.
60 percent of troops returning from Iraq suffer from such mental health issues as major
depression, generalized anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
These conditions frequently lead to substance abuse.
This population is the most susceptible to
homelessness and suicide. Suicide statistic show a rate of an average of 125 a week!
As of July, 2008 28,490 U.S. Servicemen and women have returned with severe injuries
suffered in Iraq.
Almost half of America's 2.7 million disabled veterans receive $337 or less a month in
benefits.
The foundation is a peaceful non-political, non-religious group of citizen who are very concern about the welfare of our children returning Home from the Middle East. We are in the process of creating a second Home for them to Heal and connect back with our society. |
We cannot continue to allow these brave soldiers, who were willing to suffer and die for us, to be discarded and treated like this. We can no longer wait for the government to do the right thing by these veterans. We, ourselves, the grateful, must finally take action. |
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has" Margaret Mead |
| Read what one courageous mother of a soldier killed in Iraq and one small group of veterans organization intend to do about this PatrickMcCaffreyFoundation.org |
| We Are a Group of Gold Star Mothers, Veterans and Dedicated Citizens... |
| A place of peace, a place to heal,a place to renew… ... A place built by gratitude |
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| Valley Forge Village A Project of the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation Development Team Bios: Nadia McCaffrey, President & founder of the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation. In 2006 Nadia founded the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote mental and holistic wellness and palliative care among veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) & TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). Valley Forge Village is a primary project of the Foundation. Her son Sergeant Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr. was killed while serving in Iraq, in an ambush near Balad Iraq on June 22, 2004. Nadia is also the founder of "AngelStaff", a group of trained volunteers who bring a caring presence to terminally ill patients and their families. McCaffrey has become an advocate for our soldiers and veterans; working on a National level as well as one on one with people in need. Mike Weisser, Vice President Board of Directors, Patrick McCaffrey Foundation and CEO of Valley Forge Village. Mike is a Vietnam Veteran and former engineer with Pacific Telephone in Los Angeles, CA. After retiring from Pacific Bell in 1990, Mike served as a sales manager for Complas, Inc in Corona, CA a communications company. He assumed the position of vice-president of sales in 1994 and was instrumental in growing the company’s annual revenues to over $240 mil. Now retired, Mike dedicates his time to numerous community projects, many of which reflect his commitment to Veterans rights. He recognizes the importance of aiding our returning warriors with mental and physical disorders in resuming their rightful place in society. A resident of Sauk Center, Mike is devoted to working for Valley Forge Village as it becomes a reality for veterans and the community. Jimmie L. Coulthard, Valley Forge Village Project Director Jimmie brings extensive experience to the project in the areas of veteran’s affairs and nonprofit management. He is on The Board of Directors of the VICTRI and as a former President and CEO of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, he and his team created a statewide service organization for veterans experiencing homelessness. He served as lead consultant on the development Veterans and Community Housing a $17.8 million dollar housing project creating 140 units on the Veterans Administration and Medical Center (VAMC), Minneapolis and The Al Loehr Veterans Studio Apartments which created 60 apartments on the VAMC in St Cloud. He served in Vietnam as an infantryman with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He became a river boat pilot after Vietnam, then on to St. Catherine’s to be a chemical dependency counselor. David Youngquist, VFV Businesses Advisor Dave retired in 2003 after spending his career in the advertising, publishing and print manufacturing industries. He was President of several national printing companies. In Vietnam he served with the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry (Mech), 25th Infantry Division. Trained as an Airborne Ranger, he also spent 18 months with the 82nd Airborne Division. For many years, he was Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Golden Valley Lutheran College. Dave graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point (66) and has an MBA from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Dave will provide develop and provide oversight to the small businesses incubation and training programs of VFV. William D. Casey, VFV Resiliency and Wellness Advisor Bill is the President and owner of Health Capital Management and the Wellness Foundation, Inc. He was co- founder & CEO of two companies in the residential security industry which established national franchises and were acquired by Westinghouse Electric and GE. Bill then started Phoenix Alliance, a Global emergency medical services company providing services to more than 14 million clients. Joining the U.S. Navy after high school, he served as a Hospital Corpsman from 1951-1953. He studied at Rockhurst University and the Immaculate Conception Seminary. Michael O’Gorman, Director, with Joshua Anderson Veterans Farmer Coalition. Michael has been a farmer for forty years. For the last twenty years, Mike has served as production manager for three of the country’s largest organic vegetable companies. He began the Farmer-Veteran Coalition to deal with the duals issues of young military veterans returning home in need of viable jobs and places to heal from their war experiences, as well as the farming community’s urgent need for capable and energetic young people to enter into the agricultural profession. The FVC is a project of Community Partners and a member of the Coalition for Iraq + Afghanistan Veterans. (CIAV). VFC will develop and implement the organic farming program at VFV. Charles Anderson, Principal, BWCA Land Co LLP. Charles, “Chuck” Anderson is a licensed real estate broker; and owns and manages a portfolio of residential and commercial real estate. He is the current Tenant and Asset manager of the Valley Forge “campus” of 134 acres and 24 structures. As such, he is very familiar with all existing structures, including their mechanical and electrical components. Chuck has been actively involved in planning and zoning related issues with governmental agencies, as it relates to the start up to build out and construction of multiple Common Interest Communities throughout the State of Minnesota. BWCA serves as facilities and operations manager of BWCA. Karen Mueller, VFV Project Advisor As a consultant to non-profit organizations and foundations, Karen provides consulting services in the areas of assessment, planning and facilitation of meetings and retreats for board and staff members. She is a former consultant with LarsonAllen Non-Profit and Government Group and served as a Program Officer for over fifteen years at the Minnesota State Arts Board, managing operating support grant programs for a statewide constituency of small to very large non-profit organizations. |
| ABOUT US |
Patrick McCaffrey Foundation Valley Forge Veterans Village & Center Board of Directors Nadia McCaffrey Gold Star Mother President & founder of the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation. In 2006 Nadia founded the Patrick McCaffrey Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote mental and holistic wellness and palliative care among veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) & TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). Valley Forge Veterans Village is a primary project of the Foundation. Her son Sergeant Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr. was killed while serving in Iraq, in an ambush near Balad Iraq on June 22, 2004. Nadia is also the founder of "AngelStaff", a group of trained volunteers who bring a caring presence to terminally ill patients and their families. McCaffrey has become an strong advocate for our soldiers and veterans; working on a National level as well as one on one with people in need. Mike Weisser, Vice President Board of Directors, Patrick McCaffrey Foundation and CEO of Valley Forge Village. Mike is a Vietnam Veteran and former engineer with Pacific Telephone in Los Angeles, CA. After retiring from Pacific Bell in 1990, Mike served as a sales manager for Complas, Inc in Corona, CA a communications company. He assumed the position of vice-president of sales in 1994 and was instrumental in growing the company’s annual revenues to over $240 mil. Now retired, Mike dedicates his time to numerous community projects, many of which reflect his commitment to Veterans rights. He recognizes the importance of aiding our returning warriors with mental and physical disorders in resuming their rightful place in society. A resident of Sauk Center, Mike is devoted to working for Valley Forge Village as it becomes a reality for veterans and the community. Cathryn Kloetzli , Secretary Cathryn serves as Secretary on the Patrick McCaffrey Board of Directors and also offers horticultural technical guidance to the Valley Forge Veterans Village farm. She has been involved in horticulture for 16 years - in commercial greenhouse and field production, as an extension agent in North Carolina and Virginia, an agriculture Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa and serving as a volunteer agribusiness and production consultant to greenhouse farmers in Central Asia, Nepal, Egypt and Moldova. She received her Master's degree in Agriculture from Cornell University and a Bachelor's degree in Plant Science from Rutgers University. She resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dorothy Sills Dorothy was born and raised in Sauk Centre, MN where she currently resides. She served in the US Army from 1965 to 1968 with a rank of E5. She is educated in Accounting and has served as Commander of American Legion Post 67. She has also served as Adjutant, Post Treasurer, Club Treasurer and Housing Committee. Dorothy has served as President of the Blue Star Mothers, Dept. of MN for 2 1/2 years. Also served on the National Executive Board of the Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. Her husband, Tom, is a Vietnam Veteran - US Army. Her one Son, Johnny, was a Veteran of Panama and Iraq, both in USMC and the MN National Guard. Dorothy has one daughter, Wendy, and four grandchildren. Carol Nelson Carol lives in the Brainerd, MN area and has been employed as a nurse during her whole working career. She and her family have a lifetime of experience with the military in different phases. Her son is currently serving in active duty military. Carol has experience of being a board member on many 501c3 organizations in different positions. Carol has a passion for helping our soldiers and their families and is currently very active in the Blue Star Mothers. Becky Lourey Becky Lourey of Kerrick brought a strong sense of caring and commitment to progressive public service as the State Senator representing District 8 in east-central Minnesota. A former farmer, she co-owns a small business, Nemadji Research Center, with her husband Gene (deceased - Oct.12, 2008). Becky and Gene are parents to 12 children (three deceased). She is a Gold Star Mother, as her son, Matt, lost his life while flying his helicopter on a mission during his second tour of duty in Iraq. Lourey received the Joan and Walter Mondale Award for Public Service in 2005 at the annual DFL Hubert H. Humphrey Day dinner in Minneapolis.Among her many other honors and awards for health care policy, the rights of women and children and political courage, she was recently included among the “most admired” persons in public service as selected by the Minnesota Women’s Press. The year after she left office, Lourey was named “Best Politician” by City Pages (Minneapolis/St.Paul), Best of 2007. Lourey served in the Minnesota Senate from 1996 to 2006, following three terms in the House of Representatives. A graduate of Little Falls High School, Becky Lourey attended Asbury College in Kentucky and the University of Minnesota. Following her husband’s death, Becky has returned to their business, Nemadji Research Corporation (NRC), full time. Dallas Flynn Retired researcher and grower of Shiitake Mushrooms and Vegetables. I was born in a small town in West Central Minnesota. I served 3 years in the US Army and was stationed on Okinawa and South Vietnam. After leaving the military I attended the Mankato State University where I received my BS and MS degrees. After college I was in the manufacturing business with factories in Minnesota, the Dominican Republic, and the Peoples Republic of China. After selling my business I returned to my love, gardening. I currently spend full time as a grower and researcher. I have done research with the University of Minnesota and am currently working on a project with the Minnesota Department of Ag. My current research is on heating the soil with solar power to extend our growing season in Northern Minnesota using high tunnels and solar panels. I also serve as a board member on the Central Region CERTS, The University of Minnesota Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, am active on the Partnerships (foods working group), and am Vice President of the Minnesota Farmers Market Association. I recently have been honored to serve as a Board Member for the Valley Forge Veterans Village, a sustainable living and farming program for Veterans that are having problems adjusting as they return from a war zone. Board of Directors Advisors Guy Gambil Guy Gambill is a native of Central Minnesota. He served in the United States Army. Guy later finished his education at the University of Minnesota. and also studied for a number of years in Germany, Spain and Mexico. He went on to become both an advocate and a lobbyist in the areas of; justice reform, veterans, health care access and for homelessness and affordable housing. Beginning with an appointment to the Hennepin County-City of Minneapolis Community Advisory Board on Homelessness he went on to leadership of the Decriminalization of Homelessness Task Force He later served as the Lobbyist and Advocacy Coordinator for the Council on Crime and Justice. Following his departure from the CCJ, he served on Governor Pawlenty's, beyond the Yellow Ribbon Task Force. He organized the 2006 Veterans Summit and then went on to initiate the effort that resulted in the Minnesota Sentencing Mitigation Legislation, making Minnesota the Second State to do so. He later served as Research and Policy Director for the VICTRI and then on to work with national veterans groups and federal agencies advocating for veterans in the justice system. Mr. Gambill was currently awarded a Soros Senior Justice Fellowship and is the 2010 recipient of the GAINS Center Impact Award. He additionally has received awards from the National Lawyers Guild, MN Psychological Association, and from The First Lady's Faith-Based Community effort during the Bush Administration. Jimmie L. Coulthard Jimmie brings extensive experience to the project in the areas of veteran’s affairs and nonprofit management. He is on The Board of Directors of the VICTRI and as a former President and CEO of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, he and his team created a statewide service organization for veterans experiencing homelessness. He served as lead consultant on the development Veterans and Community Housing a $17.8 million dollar housing project creating 140 units on the Veterans Administration and Medical Center (VAMC), Minneapolis and The Al Loehr Veterans Studio Apartments which created 60 apartments on the VAMC in St Cloud. He served in Vietnam as an infantryman with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He became a river boat pilot after Vietnam, then on to St. Catherine’s to be a chemical dependency counselor. Charles Anderson Charles, “Chuck” Anderson is a licensed real estate broker; and owns and manages a portfolio of residential and commercial real estate. He is the current Tenant and Asset manager of the Valley Forge “campus” of 134 acres and 24 structures. As such, he is very familiar with all existing structures, including their mechanical and electrical components. Chuck has been actively involved in planning and zoning related issues with governmental agencies, as it relates to the start up to build out and construction of multiple Common Interest Communities throughout the State of Minnesota. BWCA serves as facilities and operations manager of BWCA. |
| OUR BOARD |
